Washington-based British Schools of America, which develops schools in the U.S. based on the British national education curriculum, has targeted cities with large international business communities, including Atlanta, for new locations.
The British School of Atlanta will open its doors on Peachtree Street, Sept. 9, to children ages three to 11, Grainne O’Reilly-Askew, U.S. regional director for British Schools, told GlobalFax. Grade levels will be added each year through age 18, she said.
Parents are encouraged to attend an informational session on the British School of Atlanta, Monday, June 10, to learn about the school’s mission and enrollment.
British Schools of America has four existing U.S. locations: Boston, with an enrollment of 210 students; Chicago, with 90 students enrolled for this coming fall; Houston, with an enrollment of 320 students and Washington with 300 students.
The school’s mission and curriculum attract a varied population of U.K. expatriate, international and American communities, said Ms. O’Reilly-Askew. Boston, for example, has a majority-American enrollment while U.S. students comprise 30% of the Houston location’s enrollment.
There are no confirmed numbers, as yet, on enrollment in Atlanta.
The British national curriculum benefits students by allowing them to work at their skill levels in each subject, irrespective of age, explained Ms. O’Reilly-Askew. Thus if an 8 year old has the reading skills of a 12 year-old, he or she will be given coursework at that level, she said.
Students begin learning foreign language and computer concepts at age three, she added, and the curriculum includes courses in world history and geography. Upper-level students are prepared for the GCSE, Britain’s national examination, and the International Baccalaureate study track, said Ms. O’Reilly-Askew.
For additional information on British Schools of America, contact 1 (866) 240-6620 or visit online at www.britishschools.org